NASHVILLE—When Jack Smiley’s walk down the hallway in Belmont’s Crockett Center for Athletic Excellence subsides, he veers over to the social media corner and steps in front of the backdrop looking for a camera. When he can’t see one, he looks around and asks for direction before being told that all he has to do is sit down for a casual conversation.
That’s the only hint of uncertainty that Smiley would show in the next 20 minutes.
Smiley doesn’t have an arrogance about him, but he’s got complete clarity in regard to what he believes he can do. Smiley was a role player in the shadow of a few Belmont stars throughout its 26-win 2025-26 season, but he expects to be its leader in 2026-27 and isn’t shy about it.
“I feel like that’s just been me my whole life, locked in,” Smiley told Basket Under Review. “I have a dream to achieve. My goal is to get to the NBA.”
